


Chit Chat

by CaptainHoot



Category: Monster High
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Heartbreak, Hurt/Comfort, Manipulation, Multi, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:02:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26839399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainHoot/pseuds/CaptainHoot
Summary: Jackson and Holt have been working on their relationship in hopes of winning back the heart of Frankie Stein. When their dream ghoul moves on, the two boys are left heartbroken, and the perfect tool for another one of Toralei's schemes.
Relationships: Holt Hyde/Jackson Jekyll/Frankie Stein, Holt Hyde/Jackson Jekyll/Toralei Stripe, Jackson Jekyll/Toralei Stripe
Comments: 3
Kudos: 29





	1. Heartbreak

Drama always spread like wildfire across the school. It only took a private conversation and some prodding for the information to get around, much to the normie’s dismay. At least even his usual harassers seemed to pity him, he’d gone a full day without being stuck in a locker or tripped. 

After many months of waiting, Frankie seemed to move on from the two of them. Not that they were ever really together, but Jackson still held hope that one day he and Holt might figure something out and finally have the relationship they wanted with her. Or, at the very least, Holt would find another ghoul beyond a fling and Jackson could have Frankie for himself. 

But they hadn't worked fast enough. The mint ghoul had found someone else, much kinder and more whole than the two of them, and before she made anything official, she wanted to make it clear to the both of them they would only remain as friends. 

So that was it then. No more study dates, no more notes or intertwining of fingers while he walked her to class, no more subtle jokes, and attempts to flirt whenever she was near. He respected her choice, but his heart only shattered more seeing Frankie with someone else. 

Jackson hadn't heard back from Holt about the situation. Maybe he was fine knowing he’d just find another fling to keep him occupied. He still forced a smile and stayed positive around her, though the change in his mood was easily recognizable. He kept his nose in his notes, barely looking up at the board except to try to find out the words their creature was saying through a thick Transylvanian accent. His emotions didn’t leave him until he got home and his tears fogged his glasses and stained his shirt. He let himself have that, away from anyone who could call him weak for crying or give him empty words to comfort him. He knew Holt would comment after figuring out why his eyes were so puffy, but the fire elemental’s words didn’t bother him anymore. Jackson tried his best to wipe his eyes and let the swelling go down before letting Holt have the rest of the night. 

Holt didn’t blame him. Even if he was less upset about the situation, he felt the other man’s sadness. He’d just stay in until his eyes cleared up for themselves, but not before leaving Jackson a note in sharpie on his arm,

**“This sucks, but we got this. There’s a ghoul out there for us.”**

It was easier to get through the next few days. Though quiet and reflective Jackson was able to carry himself through. 

It just made him an easy target. 

At least, that was how Toralei saw it. A walking treasure trove of secrets about the preppy group just dying to be unlocked. Abandoned and hurt by the ghoul he trusted, why would he not share a few secrets?

“Look at him, I don’t think he’s spoken up once.” Toralei finally spoke up. She watched the normie as he poked away at his lunch. His friends sat around him, full of jokes and laughter. They gave each other teasing shoves, and Toralei scoffed at the practice. 

Meowlody raised an eyebrow, “I just worry he won’t speak up at all. Then you’ll waste your time with a normie for nothing. _Jackson_ of all normies…”

“I know what I’m doing.” Toralei hissed, “All boys are the same. I’ll just show him a little bit of interest and he’ll be like putty in my claws. We’ll get everything we need to know about Frankie and her freak squad.” She rested her chin in her hand and looked the normie up and down, “I wonder if he even knows we’ve been staring at him. Maybe he’s just too depressed to look up. It’s enough to almost make me feel bad for using him. Almost.”

The werecats giggled at her comment, then Purrsephone spoke, “He could have done better than a living doll anyways. Maybe it will be a good wake up call for him.” 

Toralei smirked and stood, pushing her tray to her ghouls so they could take care of it. 

“Where are you going?”

“Jackson always gets to class before everyone else. This will go a lot smoother with fewer eyes on us. So, I’ll meet him there. Wish me luck, not that I’ll need it.” The tabby pushed off the table and made her way to their classroom. This was the one class they shared, and she wasn't about to mess this up. 

She was already sitting upright on her desk when Jackson came in. He didn’t pay her much attention if any at all. He settled into his seat and started unpacking his bag. With his notebook out he leaned his temple into his hand and started flipping through the meticulously written and highlighted notes on the page with a heavy sigh. 

Toralei scoffed, he hadn't even looked at her  _ once.  _ She slid off her desk and walked in front of him, only gaining his attention when she placed a hand over her notes. Jackson leaned back and looked up at her with a confused look. 

“I heard you have one of the highest grades in this class. You know that’s not easy to pull off.”

Jackson shrugged and tried to pull his notebook back, but she stayed steadfast. 

“I also heard you offer to tutor to any sweet ghoul that asked.”

“No, I don't offer tutoring. Not right now, at least.”

Toralei frowned and let him pull his notebook away from her, taking advantage of the space on the desk to jump up and sit in front of him. “Why not? I’ve seen you offer it to other ghouls in the past, is something wrong with me?”

“No, I’m just not helping anyone right now.”

“What a shame. I was really looking forward to getting advice from the top student in our class.” She leaned down towards him, placing her face in front of his. “Honestly, I’m a little bit afraid I’ll fail. I just can’t seem to find the help I need. You really were my last hope, Jackson.”

He scooted his chair backward, “Fine. I’ll help you out one time. How’s lunch tomorrow?”

“How’s tonight? I always focus better in a new environment, mind taking me home with you? I rather do sooner than later. One more pop-quiz will screw me over.”

“Okay, but just for a couple of hours. We have things we need to do.”

Toralei let out a small laugh and leaned forward to ruffle his hair, “I’ll meet you in the parking lot. I’m assuming your car is the one with all the scratches? Don’t worry, I know those aren’t from you. See you then.”

She slid off his desk and walked back to her own, content with her plan. By now he should be desperate for attention, it shouldn't take her long to make him crack. 


	2. Study Date

Normally Jackson wouldn’t stay by his locker for so long. Should any large, bovine student “accidentally” bump into him, he’d probably be stuck there until his friends got out of football practice. Though maybe that was preferable to the events that were going to transpire that evening. He wanted more time alone to grieve, but the werecat wasn’t about to accept no for an answer.   
With a heavy sigh, Jackson grabbed his books and shut his locker before turning away to the parking lot.

Toralei was leaning against the hood of his car, a small compact vehicle littered with a few bumps and scratches from whenever the aux cord was in use. Had it not been for the vehicle’s poor shape he might have scolded her friends who sat on either side of her. The twins smiled at him before slipping away and letting Toralei take over.

“So this is your car? I was just making a complete guess.”

Jackson shrugged, the yin-yang symbols on the back made it pretty obvious to him. He unlocked it and started to slip into the driver’s side.

“I thought you said you knew which car was mine yesterday?”

Toralei sat beside him while he threw his bag into the back and buckled himself in. He started the car and made a few adjustments while the werecat leaned on the center console and peered over his shoulder.

“Why would I know that for sure? I have better things to do than to stalk you to your car.”

That didn’t sound reassuring.

The drive didn't take long. The werecat was thankful for that. Jackson had been completely silent. Coupled with the lack of radio in the car, it was enough to bore her to insanity. 

When she arrived she was quick to leave the car and approach the home. It was a small one-story ranch-style home decorated with various flowers outside. Jackson lead her up a cobblestone path and onto the tiny porch that sat below the front door. Once unlocked, he gestured her inside.   
His bag was placed onto a square dining room table.    
Toralei hummed and hugged her bag closer to her, “How about we go to your room instead? It’s easier for me to learn without distractions. I’m not sure how much I can get done with your parents peering over my shoulder.” She drew out the last sentence, trying to create more drama and importance over her concern. 

Jackson shook his head, “My Mom usually stays after work to help her students, we have a few hours.”

The werecat wasn’t about to take that answer. She looked down the hallway and started to make her way to the last door, “Is this it?” She tilted her head at the normie. He opened his mouth to stop her, prompting her to slip inside and plop down onto the grey sheets on his bed. Toralei kicked her shoes onto the floor and crossed her legs while he came in after her. At the sight of his bag back on him she smiled, it looked like she had won this fight. 

Jackson had accepted his fate. He grabbed his notebook from his bag and rolled over his desk chair so he could sit in front of her. “So… how far back do you need me to start?” He started thumbing through his notes. Toralei hummed and leaned forward, “Honestly?” She brushed his hand out of the way and flipped to the front, “Let’s start from the beginning. That way I can pick up if I’m missing something.” 

The normie stifled a sigh and nodded. “Just a review. You should have learned this in middle school…” 

Perfect. Toralei pouted and brought an arm across her chest, feigning embarrassment. “I know. Maybe if I had gotten help it would be different. I was hoping you would be understanding enough to think I’m not stupid…”

She looked at him to gather the effect of her performance. Jackson looked shocked,

“That’s not what I meant at all- I don’t think you’re stupid. Here…”

Jackson ripped off a piece of paper from the back of his notebook and scribbled a problem down on it. He passed the paper and pencil to her, “Do this- it will be easier for me to help you if I can see your thought process.”

_ 5x+7=17 _

Toralei almost wanted to scoff, maybe her act was too good.

She completed the equation and passed the paper back to him. Jackson smiled, “I guess we should just go through the chapters until we find out where you’re stuck.”

Toralei nodded and leaned forward onto her knees.”Finding X is pretty easy. I guess I don’t know where I got lost in this class. At least I paid attention in middle school.” She jabbed at Jackson as he wrote down his next equation. “Speaking of…” A cheshire smile curled on her lips as she prepared to move her plan forward, “How are you doing with your ex?”

“Huh?”

“The Stein girl. I heard she broke your heart.”

Jackson shook his head, “We were never together. I’m fine.” With his eyes avoiding hers he passed the paper to her, “Here, solve this.”

The werecat started working on it, “I’ve been worried about you. Also, the awkward silences from Mr. Know-It-All not raising his hand to answer every question have been unbearable.” 

“I didn’t think you noticed. I’m fine.”

Toralei passed the paperback, “She meant a lot to you, didn’t she? I mean you spent nearly a year slaving over her every whim.”

“This is wrong.” Jackson pushed the paper under her nose, “You need to reverse the less than sign when you divide by a negative. Try it again.”

Toralei looked down at the paper. Yeah, that was something she had completely forgotten about. Her eyes focused back on the normie, “If you need someone to talk to, you have me. I don’t know her or any of her friends, so I won’t think differently of you because of what you say about her.”

Jackson seemed to ignore her; as if his tone wasn't enough to hint he wanted to drop the subject. The werecat sighed, “I’m serious, the offer is there.”

She finished the problem and handed it to him. At least he seemed to approve of her work, even if her plan was going to take a little more prodding than she had originally hoped. 

“If you forgot about this rule that might be why you’re struggling so much. Let’s keep going.”

The two continued for a few more hours. Toralei had given up on trying to pry for now out of fear the walls he had already put up would become stronger. When she felt she had enough she stretched her arms in a large yawn and fell back onto the bed. “Can’t we take a break? If I see another number I think I might burst…”

Jackson nodded, then looked to his iCoffin, “Actually, I should probably get you home. I still have homework to do…  _ we  _ both do.” It wasn’t clear if he meant himself and Holt or the two of them, but she assumed the ladder. 

Toralei pushed herself up on her elbows. “We’re not even halfway done…”

“Much less than halfway, considering how much harder the next few chapters are…”

The werecat groaned, “Just give me some time to rest my head. You probably need a break too after teaching some poor ghoul all night.” She scooted her way to his pillows and curled up in a ball. Either his mother was a clean freak or he actually had decent hygiene for a teenage boy. Other than the slight smell of burnt cotton, his sheets smelled of cologne and lavender. She could fall asleep here should he let her. 

Unfortunately for that thought, Jackson seemed ready to draw their session to a close. Wordlessly he wheeled himself back to his desk and shuffled through his bag to bring out his homework for the night. If she was going to use more of his time, he was at least going to get some work done. 

Toralei pushed herself up and leaned back against the pillows. “Come here. I need to get my mind off math and you obviously need a distraction. You’re quiet, but never this quiet.” Maybe she should elaborate, lest give him the wrong idea. She hummed and searched his walls for a conversation starter. Holt’s things were slowly growing into his space, posters of half-naked women right beside advertisements for videogames that looked more like artwork. It was either that or choose from some participation trophies. She pointed to one of the posters that had a cartoony drawing of a group of friends, all different monsters adorned with different medieval gear. “What’s that from?”

Jackson followed her to the poster. “It’s a podcast. Well, those are the characters from the podcast anyway.”

Toralei nodded and looked at him expectantly. The normie continued,

“They play a game and record it. It’s kind of like a story. I started getting into it around the time I stopped being able to listen to music.”

“What game?”

“It’s just a tabletop game. You probably don’t know it.”

“Oh, like the one you and your friends are always screaming about?” She feigned a smile, seeing the group of boys yell and roleplay in the halls had to be one of the  _ cringiest  _ sights the school had to offer. She almost missed it, especially compared to the storm cloud Jackson carried around with him now. 

“Yeah.”

“Which one do you play?”

“None of them. Each player makes up their own character for the most part. I mostly run the sessions…”

“So you have your own character then?”

“I used to.”

“You should show me.”

Jackson looked at her like she had two heads- if that were something that was unusual to him at this point. Toralei laughed, “I’m serious- I’m a werecat, it’s in my nature to be curious.” She cocked her head, then sighed. “I know you don’t have a lot of reason to trust me, but you’ve done a lot for me in only a night. I wouldn't use this against you.” 

That didn’t sound promising. 

The tabby batted her eyes, “Please?”

The normie thought for a second. It’s not like she could tear him down any further than he already was. Plus she probably couldn't even read the sheet in the first place. He dug through his drawers and pulled out a wrinkled sheet riddled with pencil marks. 

“What’s this?”

“It’s a character sheet. It just shows the stats…”

“So you don’t have a photo of him?”

“I probably do somewhere…”

“So you draw?”

“I used to.”

Toralei took the sheet from his hands and looked it over. “So… elf? Wizard? I expected it to be something more… normie.”

Jackson shrugged, “They have a human class. It’s just that the other species are more interesting. Why be yourself when you can be anything else.” 

That was rich coming from him. “So, what’s he like?”

“I guess pretty normal by game standards. He spent most of his youth studying potions. Everything after that depended on the game.”

Toralei cocked her head to urge him on. He continued; something about war and fighting dragons. After a while, she had zoned out, between his rambling and the bed she might just fall asleep. When the front door opened he finally stopped, “I should probably get you home. I’m not supposed to have anyone over except…”

“I know. Trust me, everyone on the fearleading team heard her talking about your study dates.” Toralei swung her legs off the bed and stretched, “Well, maybe we can prove I’m a better study partner than her. Let’s get going, you can tell me more on the way back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Right now I'm just writing what is comfortable for me. I'm going through a very tough time right now, as are a lot of people, and these fics have been a great way for me to cope and leave reality for a little bit.


	3. I'm Glad We Met

After the rush of students that morning, the werecats curled up around each other on the steps to the school. Meowlody and Purrsephone watched Toralei expectantly, but they knew better than to press the tabby for information. Instead, they waited in silence, until the orange werecat felt ready to speak up.

“This isn’t going to be as easy as we thought.” She announced with a sigh, “No wonder why Frankie moved on from them. He’s so emotionally constipated I could barely get him to talk about anything but algorebra.” Her ear twitched with annoyance as she recounted the previous night.

Meowlody frowned, “At least we can say it’s a start. Did you get anything out of him?”

“I didn’t even get the chance to ask. I tried to get him to open up about _something_ and he went off about some dorky make-believe game. The only time Stein was brought up was when he was whining about how different things are.” She huffed, “We were both alone in his room and he chose to ramble and whine. How stupid do you have to be?”

The two sisters frowned, “We could always try. I think I still have Holt’s number… maybe I could get through to him.” Purrsephone offered, but Toralei was quick to shoot her down.

“Frankie might be a ditz, but even she would know better than to tell her secrets to some blabbering loud mouth. And think about it, he thinks Frankie chose someone else over him because of Holt. He’s probably aching for someone to choose him over his brother, I’m going to have a lot less work if we just keep it between me and him for now.”

The cats stood when the bell rang. “We can talk more about this after fearleading- but trust me, I know how to break that boy down.

⊱⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊰

Fearleading seemed more obnoxious than ever now. The ghouls banded together to talk about their boyfriends at any given chance. This was the one-time Toralei was actually focused on the task presented to her, not on tripping her enemies or finding the latest gossip. 

The ghouls herded into the locker room and started to change out of their uniforms and into their evening attire. A few of them stood at the mirrors and put makeup over flushed skin while they talked about the boys they would be seeing later that night. Toralei faked throwing up a hairball as their conversations carried over the wall of lockers. Her friends gave an amused chuckle before Toralei turned back to her own conversation,

“Jackson actually smiled at me when I came to class today. So I guess last night worked better than I thought.”

Meowlody raised an eyebrow, “Just a smile?”

The tabby scoffed, “He’s too busy brooding about his ‘lost love’ to carry out a real conversation.” She added the air quotes in, “It’s so pathetic. This should have been a wake-up call that he can do better.”

“He’s already way out of our league, and I don’t mean that as a compliment. Even Frankie would have settled if she ended up dating him.”

The three giggled and shut their lockers. 

“ _I thought you agreed to keep our names out of your mouths._ ” A ghoul wrapped in bandages hissed at the trio. The werecats laughed, 

“I don’t think we mentioned anyone’s name, did we, ghouls?” Toralei rolled her eyes and walked up to Cleo, “No one important, anyways.”

“What exactly do you have planned?”

“Nothing.” The tabby laughed, “Aren’t you nosy? I thought I was supposed to be the curious one.”

Cleo stamped her heel on the ground, “Behave, kitty. If I hear anything else from you I’ll-” 

“ _Relaaax_. We have better things to do than play with some plastic toys.” Toralei rolled her eyes and bumped past the mummy, with her two lackeys coming in behind her.

The werecats huddled together outside. The few grey clouds that loomed over them on the field turned into a dark grey cloud that welcomed icy chills to sweep the school grounds. The Meowlody cuddled in close to her sister, “You don’t think she’s going to cause any issues, do you?”

Toralei shrugged, “Why would she? Besides, if she wants to blame someone it can be Jackson, not me. He’ll be the one spilling _everything._ ”

Purrsephone pulled on Toralei’s arm and pointed to the gaggle of teenage boys coming out of the gymnasium. They ran up to their respective partner, each one curling up into their arms against the harsh weather that had developed outside. Her eyes darted to the mint green ghoul who sparked as she curled into the arms of her zombiecorn, faking a shiver to force him to hold her closer.

⊱⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊰

The weather hadn’t cleared up by the next morning. If anything, it had gotten worse. The streets were flooded with huge puddles and rivers of water that crashed into storm drains. Toralei pulled her peacoat tightly around her and stared out into the stormy abyss through the curtains. It wasn’t a long walk from the dorms to the school, but cats hated to get wet. Just the sound of the rain on the stone walkway made shivers run up her spine. Maybe she should have gotten breakfast with her two friends, at least then they could brave the weather together.

Toralei left the building and stepped out into the storm. She walked quickly to try and keep herself from getting wet as she slipped through the parking lot.

When a car came rushing through she backed herself up against one of the parked vehicles. A black hearse-like vehicle with pink decals sped by, splashing up water from the puddle in front of her. Mud and rain covered her face, hair, and jacket. Toralei tried to cry out to the culprit, but they had made their way far down the lot by now.

She knew just who the rat was. 

The werecat stormed into the school and stowed her umbrella on top of her locker. Once it was unlocked she could see the true damage, mascara stained cheeks, and blotchy concealer. Her hair clung to her ears and her forehead. Toralei hissed at her reflection and wiped some of the makeup on her sleeve as she tried to come up with a solution. 

Cleo and her little posse were dead. 

“Toralei?” 

She furrowed her brows and turned to the voice, “ _What!?”_

Blue eyes stared back at her behind a pair of thick-rimmed glasses. He looked like a deer in headlights; trying to decide if it was best to flee or stay and endure her wrath. 

Toralei relaxed her shoulders and turned back to her locker. “Hi.”

She choked back asking what he wanted, she just needed to ground herself right now. 

“Hi.” Jackson shuffled his bag, “Um. I wanted to stop by since we have a test today…”

Shit, she had forgotten about that. The tabby groaned and pressed her head into the locker, “Right. Fifth period. Thanks for the reminder…”

“Well, I was actually wondering if you wanted to meet up at lunch and study for it.”

Toralei turned towards him and looked him up and down. He seemed genuine enough, though she couldn't wrap her head around why he would help her of his own free will. Especially since he put up such a fight about ““helping”” her the first time. “You know, you don’t have to volunteer yourself to be my tutor.”

“I know. It’s just… you’re really behind.” It came out as a confession like he needed all his courage to say that to her. “I know it won’t be perfect, but I can at least work on your skills for this chapter. Also tutoring others helps me study.”

She scoffed and wiped away the black under her other eye. “As if you need more studying. Sure, how about we meet by my locker at lunch. We’ll find somewhere to sit from there.” 

With a shiver, she removed her coat and put it on top of her locker with her umbrella. It wasn’t much use, most of the water had seeped down into her shirt. She crossed her arms as the chills started climbing up her spine. 

“I know a few quiet places where we can be alone. Lot’s of practice from hiding from you know who…”

“That isn’t saying much. Manny can’t see anything that isn’t right in front of him.” She reached out to her locker and grabbed a few books before bringing them to her chest to retain the little warmth she had left. “I guess I’ll see you then.”

“Sure.” There was a pause, and the normie stayed put. Toralei didn’t think much of it until he spoke up again. “Here, take this.”

She turned to Jackson. His sweatshirt was in one hand with his glasses in the other. He adjusted the frames back on his face before tucking in his shirt that had been pulled up from removing the garment. “It’s a little bit wet, but at least it’s not soaked. I can just get it back from you at the end of the day after your other clothes dry.” He pushed it towards her again, as if insisting she took it. 

Toralei smiled and took the green sweatshirt into her arms. “Thank you, Jackson.”

His smile matched hers, and he finally was ready to take his leave. “See you in a few hours then.”

⊱⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊰

There was always something different about wearing a boy’s sweatshirt. It felt like a hug, all-encompassing and cuddly. It was still warm from his body heat too; maybe the fire elemental in him had amplified the heat. Now she just needed to focus on staying awake and not melting into the cotton fabric. 

First period… second… third…

She had almost lost track of time. Fourth period let out and the halls were covered in screaming teenagers excited for a half-hour of freedom. 

Toralei returned to her locker to wait for Jackson and leaned up against the coffin-shaped metal. 

“Oh my ghoul, you got him to give you his sweatshirt?” The were-twins approached her with matching smiles. Toralei’s face went red as she thought of a way to defend herself, but she couldn't speak fast enough. 

“He really trusts you. Have you gotten any dirt yet?” Purrsephone added. 

Meowlody chimed in, “I’m surprised he’s not with you. He was practically sewn onto Freaky-Stein.” She imitated gagging. 

The tabby relaxed her shoulders. “Riiight. Like I said, he’s putty in my claws. We’re meeting up for lunch, it shouldn't take much longer to get what I need.” 

“I guess this wasn’t going to take as long as we thought.”

“He’s insisting we study for our algorebra test. I’ll be lucky to squeeze anything out of him other than letters and numbers. Speaking of…” She gestured down the hallway to the normie that was approaching. With a smile, the twins took the hint and left before Jackson moved in front of Toralei. He watched as the two girls disappeared amid the crowd, 

“Is there a reason those two always leave when I come by?”

Toralei laughed and shrugged, “I guess it’s a coincidence. So, where were you thinking of taking me?”

“Nothing special. Just the library.”

“Oh, how original.”

“Maybe on a better day, we can study outside.”

Toralei smiled, he was already including her in future plans. She closed her locker and followed close beside him as they trekked down the long passage of stairs that lead to the labyrinth of bookshelves and tables the school titled a library.

Jackson found a quiet table for them in the back and settled down, “You look a lot dryer than you were when I first saw you.”

 _Duh._ Though her ruined makeup was still stained under her eyes and wiped away her mauve lipstick, she was still able to repair herself with some liner and lip gloss. At least it was a better fit for her more casual style. “I don’t feel much dryer, but your sweatshirt helped.” 

“I’m glad it’s helping one of us. This school always feels so cold.”

_Fat chance getting it back._

Toralei grabbed her notebook and flipped through the pages, “Quotients… what am I even supposed to use these for.”

“Statistics mostly.”

“If I wanted to learn statistics I’d take a statistics class.”

Jackson smiled and looked down at his own notes, “Well, let me see what you have.”

“You really don’t want to.” She passed her notes off to him. 

He read them both over, “No, everything you have is right. Note-wise, at least.”

“But I don’t know what any of it means.”

“We’ll walk through a problem together.”

⊱⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊰

Lunch was excruciating, but by the end, she could at least say she could complete a problem herself. Whether it was correct or not was beside the point.

He was a complete dork, but she couldn’t deny she felt a little bit of pride when he smiled at her for getting a step right. She’d gone from totally screwed to planning to get a solid C.

“If you can, write down the steps on the front page before you start the test. That way you can make sure you don’t forget.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s a math test, not an essay.” Toralei shot back, giving him a small nudge with her elbow. 

Jackson rolled his eyes, but he kept a smile on his face nonetheless.

His attention was taken from her when a boy yelled his name.

“Jackson! Where were you?” Heath left his spot beside his icy ghoulfriend to beckon the normie over. “We thought you might have gotten Hyded-out, but Holt didn’t pick up his phone.” 

“Studying. We have a test this period.”

The fire elemental looked from Jackson to Toralei, then back towards him. He smiled and elbowed Jackson in the side, “Riiiiight, because you need to study.”

Toralei rolled her eyes, she was sure rolling his sweatshirt didn’t help the teasing from his cousin. Instead of giving Heath her time she looked over to the group of ghouls that were glaring her way. Cleo’s mouth was pressed into a straight line. The mummy must have wanted to come over and harass her some more since her little plan to ruin the werecat’s day failed. All of their eyes were filled with hatred, except for the green ghoul nestled beside Neighthan.

Her eyes were solemn and her mouth was curled into a frown as she watched the pair.

_What’s wrong? Go play with your new toy._

Toralei thought to herself. Ensuring her eyes were still on her she stepped between Jackson and Heath and grabbed the normie’s hand. “We should get going, I could really use a quick review before.”

Heath looked at Jackson with a smile, but Jackson simply rolled his eyes and decided not to pay the elemental any more attention.

“Right, sure…” He moved his hand away from hers as he turned, only to have the ghoul wrap a hand around his arm as they walked down the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while, I've been in a really bad spot mentally and physically. I'm not sure I'll be able to post consistent updates, but I'll try. As always, no beta. Thank you so much everyone who gave this fic a chance <3


	4. Secrets Out

Jackson never got his sweatshirt back. Not yet anyway, Toralei was far too happy to wrap herself up in it at the end of the day and take a little cat nap. He could drive, while she still had to walk back in the harsh weather.

For now, she’d hide it in her room, mixed in with thrifted sheets so the other ghouls in her dorm couldn’t see. With the nicer weather, she was back in her usual attire, a more punk styled outfit with her usual orange scarf. Not wearing the sweatshirt took away the option of even asking her for it back.

Jackson never mentioned it when she walked into class, instead, his focus was on the paper that was facedown on her desk. The results of yesterday’s test, and a show of just how much she had actually paid attention during their study sessions.

Toralei sat beside him and leaned on her elbow, “You look happier today.” She paid no mind to her test, “Let me guess, another perfect hundred.”

Jackson showed the paper to her, “Ninety-seven, the only student to get a hundred in this class was Ghoulia…” He sighed, “I got marked down for simplifying my work.”

Toralei laughed, “You’re the only one I know who can get an A and still complain about it. I think those dorky glasses of yours are seeping into your brain…”

She turned over her paper. A seventy-nine sat at the top circled in a red substance that they both could only hope was ink. 

Toralei flipped through her test in disbelief. 

“Well? What was it?”

She looked back to the boy, “Seventy-nine… that’s basically a B.”

Jackson smiled, “That’s the best you’ve done so far.”

Toralei’s stomach lurched. He seemed proud of her. It wasn’t something she was used to.

She stayed quiet as she flipped the test back over. 

“...thanks.”

⊱⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊰

Toralei approached her group of felines after the final bell rang. Both of them flicked their ears towards her curiously and curled the corner of their lips into a smile. 

“You two look like you have dirt.” Toralei purred as she approached the two ghouls. 

“Well…” The tip of Meowlody’s tail flicked nervously. “We do. Kind of.”

“Just my favorrrite way to end a day. Tell me everything, who’s getting dragged.”

“No one.”

“Come on, I know that look, tell me.”

“We will, but…” Purrsephone started,

“We have good news and bad news.” Meowlody finished. 

“Spill it then.” Toralei snapped. 

“Well…” The white-haired sister began, “Everyone is starting to think you and Jackson are a thing.”

Toralei’s nose wrinkled, “ _ What?!” _

“Everyone is talking about how you two weren’t at lunch, then you two both appeared after. Wearing his sweatshirt.”

“...with messy makeup.” Purrsephone added. 

Toralei went red. “Ew- no. Nothing like that. We were just studying.”

They both nodded, believing Toralei beyond anything anyone else had to say. 

“But, the good news. Frankie is upset about it.”

“Reeeaaally upset.” 

The Tabby tried to compose herself, “Right, perfect, just what we wanted.”

“Huh?”

“Okay, not exactly… but it feels good to know I have the upper hand on the ragdoll.” She combed her hand through her hair. “Plus those two boys waited on her every second they were with her. I was getting annoyed with Holt always taking her song requests first at every party. Now Frankie will think those two kiss the ground I prowl on.”

⊱⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊰

Holt had left Jackson to watch over his guitar after school. They had rationed out their time after the bell rang, with Holt getting the first hour to use the recording studio in the catacombs while Jackson got the second hour to join a pick-up casketball game with his friends. 

He approached the court and placed his bag and guitar on the concrete beside the bench. After slipping his tie off and rolling up his sleeves he made his way onto the court to join up with the boys who were all jumping on the ball after a missed foul shot. 

Clawd grabbed the ball and turned on his heel to bring it down the court, but they all froze when they saw the normie. Jackson expected a greeting, or even some acknowledgment, but instead, the group stayed silent while they thought of what to say. Jackson waved, but the awkwardness never left the air. 

“Are… we playing offsides?”

Clawd hugged the ball to his chest as the rest of his group settled, “Sorry, our game kind of already started-”

Deuce interrupted, “We’re not playing with you dude.”

Jackson blinked, they never had an issue with him coming in late to a pickup game. “What?

Behind his sunglasses, Deuce rolled his eyes. “Seriously? You went off and dated Toralei and thought nothing would change? Jackson, she hates our guts, and you know all of the things she’s done to Cleo.”

“I’m… not dating her.”

“We saw you in the hallway with her. You two spend every second together now with her hanging on your arm. Don’t bullshit me, I don’t know how you could go behind our backs like that.”

Clawd interjected, “We know you didn’t do this on purpose, but come on. You know everything Toralei’s done and how she’s hurt our ghouls. It’s one thing to have to deal with her as a classmate, but it’s another to treat her like she’s your ghoulfriend.”

“And you know how she tried to stick her nose into Lagoona and I’s business.” Gil jumped in. 

“Yeah, and I don’t like her either.” Heath added. 

“She’s not… that bad of a monster.” Jackson started, “I know she’s messed up a lot in the past, but she genuinely has good qualities.”

Deuce’s eyes narrowed, “Like what? Sabotaging the competition? Spreading rumors to ruin her enemies’ lives? Embarrassing our ghoulfriends in front of the entire school?” 

“I-”

“You seriously can’t think she’s good. She makes Cleo’s unlife hell.”

“I’m not with her!” Jackson yelled, trying to get a word in over their voices, “We share one class together. She was completely lost until I agreed to help tutor her. That’s it. We’re not dating, we’re barely even friends.”

“And you gave her your sweatshirt?”

Jackson sighed, “She got soaking wet from the storm the other day. I felt bad seeing her so soaked, plus the whole werecat thing… cats hate water, right? I just wanted to help. That’s it, there’s nothing more between us, after this semester lets out I’ll be more than happy to never have to deal with her again.”

The boys looked at each other to assess if they believed him,

“I promise. I’m… really not interested in seeing anyone else right now. I don’t think I will be for a while.” He hugged an arm over his chest and looked down at the painted concrete. 

Deuce sighed, “Fine. But maybe tell her to lay off. It’s creeping me out seeing you two so close.”

Jackson nodded, then moved to catch the ball Deuce hurled at his chest. “But I’m still pissed at you for upsetting Cleo- so let me beat your ass at casketball. Heath, you’re on his team. Three-vee-two.” The snake smiled at him, and Jackson smiled back, “You’re on.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to get out. With everything that has been going on writing has been the last of my priorities. Still, thank you for the positive feedback I've received so far and I hope to constantly improve <3

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I'm sorry I haven't been actively posting, life has been hell recently. I will be updating fics as they're ready. No beta, so sorry for any mistakes <3


End file.
